A Time of Growth

As most of you know, our team has been grounded for quite some time now: one team member has been here in Sucre for over two months now, and I have been here for a little over three weeks. We´ve been `grounded´ here because of the situation with the government, and their anti-American stance as of late. So to make the best of our situation, the four of us living in our wonderful pink house began studying the Bible, a chapter a day. We get together usually right after lunch and discuss with each other what the chapter means to us, verses that touched us, and any past experiences we had- positive or negative- with regards to the chapter of the day. These sessions take any where from 45 minutes up to close to two hours; it all just depends on what we each feel led to share.
Today´s chapter happened to be 1 Corinthians 4. As I read it, I feel like I was almost reading the chapter for the first time (even though there were notes scribbled next to the chapter from the last time I read it). It was like God opened my eyes, and showed me a situation which Paul was in that seemed like what I was going through in this moment. Verses 12 and 13 are the ones that really stood out to me in this chapter: ¨When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.¨ As I read it, I realized that I was feeling the same way. The government here is slandering North Americans to the common people. Apparently, we are at fault for all of the problems here in Bolivia… I had no idea… The local governments have now begun to mildly persecute missionaries from North America as well. Just last week, the government of Chuqisaca, of which Sucre is the capital in which we live, kicked out of the country some North American missionaries who were handing out food to the poor. The president applauded them for doing so; it`s a big deal when the president and local government are uniting on some fronts, usually they´re at each other´s throats. Reading what Paul had wrote has encouraged me greatly, because I have been questioned by countless people why we are still here. I can say we are enduring the persecution against us, still hoping to be able to shine the light of the Gospel in our province to the lost people that need Jesus. We will wait it out as long as possible and God has been using this time to bash (chip is far too small a word) away the parts of my life that really need to be transformed so I can more effectively serve him in whatever way He wants me to.
Please be praying for us as we continue to endure the situation here. Also, for patience and protection here in Sucre. Thank you so much for your suport! I´ll be sure to keep you updated with any new information.